Combined filter, drier, heat exchanger, and surge resistor for electrical refrigerators



April 25, 1950 w. H. GARNER 2,505,393 COMBINED FILTER, DRIER, HEAT EXCHANGER, AND SURGE RESISTOR FOR ELECTRICAL REFRIGERATORS Filed Dec. 28. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [urn/(or Mbmfiarner- Q y 5 Attorneys presser unit.

- UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED FILTER,

CHANGER, AND sURcE REsIs'roR FoR ELECTRICAL REFRIGERATORS William H. Garner, Augusta, Ga. Application December 28, 1945, Serial No. 637,548

1 This invention relates to a purifying apparatus for fluid systems, and more particularly to dehydrating and filtering apparatus for the fluid circuits of electrical refrigerating systems.-

An object of the invention is to provide a purifier for the fluid circuit of a refrigerating system in which the filtering medium will not be clogged by the dehydrating material, in which the filtering and dehydrating mediums may easily be removed and replaced, and in which the dehydrating medium may bereplaced in the purifier without danger of injury to the filter.

A further object of the invention isto provide a combined filter and dehydrator for the fluid circuits of an electrical refrigerating system,

wherein the refrigerant at low temperature from the evaporator is led into an inner chamber within the purifier, and caused by means of the high pressure refrigerant material from the high pressure outlet of a compressor unit entering into and through an outer chamber which surrounds the inner chamber, to boil off as a relief from the surge liquid, and thereby changed to a low pressure gas which will be directed to the com- A further object of the invention is to provide an improved purifier and filter for the fluids in an electrical refrigerating system, whereby the cold gas or liquid coming from the evaporators to the inner chamber of the purifier is boi ed off by heat from liquid in an outside chamber, thereby permitting only low pressure gas to be drawn into the compressor to reduce the possibility of damaging the compressor valves or permitting solid or liquid from the evaporator returning direct to the compressor. V

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerating circuit purifier which will include an inner chamber into which the refrigerant from the evaporator is directed,

proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a.

part of this application I Figure 1 is a perspective view' of the improved refrigerating circuit purifier forming the subject matter of this application;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the purifier;

DRIER, HEAT EX- 3 Claims. (Cl- 210150.5)

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inner chamber of the purifier;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tube supported by the head of the purifier and adapted to extend into the inner chamber, and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6----liv of Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding par s.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a suitable cylindrical body I being formed at its upper end with the outwardly extending annular flange 2, and closed at its bottom 3.' A threaded union or connection 4 will extend through the body I at a point adjacent its top to be connected to the expansion valve at the coils of the evaporator and servesas an outlet from the body I. A second threadedunion or connection 5 extends through the body ladjacent its lower end and will be connected to the high pressure side of the compressor to direct the hot refrigerant into said body i. a

The head member 6 is provided with a transverse passageway, which is separated by the partition l, midway of its length. The ends of the passageway arefitted with the threaded unions orconnections 8 and 9, which respectively are connected to the evaporator to lead the refrigerant to the purifier, and to the compressor unit to lead the refrigerant from the purifier back to the unit. The head member Swill seat on the flange 2, and the gasket I!) will be positioned be tween the head member and the flange, while the bolts ll extending through the head member and flange will hold the head members securely to the body of the purifier.

An annular depending flange I2 is formed on the bottom of the head member 6, and supports the inner closed chamber l3 which is soldered to the said flange. A discharge tube I4 is threaded into the head member '6 to connect with the inlet passage, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and extends downwardly in the inner chamber I3 to a point adjacent its lower end. The outlet port I5 is formed from the outlet passageway in the head member 6 to connect with the inner chamber H.

A fine mesh wire filter screen i6 is placed within the outer body I in contact with its inner wall, and the space between the filter screen It and the outer surface of the inner 3 chamber i3 is filled with a suitable dehydrating or drying agent [1, such as silica-gel. A removable filler plug I8 is threaded into the bottom 3 of the body member I, whereby when necessary, it may be removed and a new supply of drying agent "l1 placed in the purifier.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that the mode of operation of my improved combined filter, drier, heat exchanger and surge resistor for electrical refrigerators will be as follows:

The hot refrigerant, under high pressure, enters at 5 and passes through the screen It and enters the drier portion of the combine, thereby removing anymoisture that may have entered the system by leaks or at any time of installation or repair. The liquid under high pressure is forced by the operating unit up through the drying agent I! in theouter chamber l to the level of the outlet 4, to pass therethrough and on to the evaporator or expansion valve. The

' refrigerant entering inlet 5 being warmer than the low pressure gas coming from the evaporator through the inlet 8 and the tube It into the inner chamber 13 will hold the low pressure refrigerant in the chamber I3 long enough for the heat exchange to change the refrigerant into a low-pressure gas to be drawn into the compressor unit.

This low pressure gas is drawn off and into the compressor by passing out and into the inner chamber l3 and through the port l5, after the refrigerant has cooled. The contents of the surge chamber l3 and the contents of the outer chamber l at the same time having received heat from the refrigerant passing through the outer chamber to the evaporator.

The operation further permits the proper evaporation to take place in the evaporator and when the refrigerant does not vaporize properly, the surge chamber holds the refrigerant long enough to permit it to become agas instead of going direct and unchecked to the operating unit.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an electrical refrigerator system including a compressor,- an evaporator, an expansion valve and pipe lines for the circulation of a refrigerant between the high pressure side of the compressor and the expansion valve and between the evaporator and the low pressure side of the compressor, a combined purifying, dehydrating and heat exchanging apparatus, consisting of a closed container provided with filtering means and further provided with an inlet and an outlet, connected with, included in and forming part of the line circulating the refrigerant between the high pressure side of the compressor and the expansion valve, and of a second closed expansion container, enclosed within the first container, exposed on its outside to the refrigerant circulating through the said first container, and having an inlet pipe reaching down into said second container, the cross section of the latter being a multiple of the cross section of the inlet pipe to provide for expansion of the fluid and further consisting of a head, closing both containers and providing separate inlet and outlet connections for said inlet pipe and said closed container, said last named inlet and outlet con nections being included in and forming part of the line circulating the refrigerant between the being connected with and forming part of the- 4 evaporator and the low pressure side of the compressor, thus producing a fluid circulation in opposite connections through the two containers, accompanied by a heat exchange between the fluids in the lines leading to and from the compressor from and to the evaporator and further accompanied by a purification in the line leading from the compressor to the evaporator and an expansion for the refrigerant in the line leading from the evaporator to the compressor.

2. In an electrical refrigerator system including a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve and pipe lines for the circulation of a refrigerant between the high pressure side of the compressor and the expansion valve and between the evaporator and the low pressure side of the compressor, an outer closed filtering and dehydrating container with an inlet and an outlet, a second closed expansion container, arranged within the aforesaid container, a common closing means for both containers, provided with an inlet and an outlet channel and with an pipe leading into the vicinity of the bottom of the expansion container, connected with the aforesaid inlet channel, said outlet channel being connected with the top of the expansion container, and said container having a cross section being amultiple 'of the cross section of the inlet pipe, the filtering and dehydrating container being filled with a dehydrating compound, the inlet and outlet of the filtering and dehydrating container being connected with and forming part of the line carrying the refrigerant from the high 'pressure side of the compressor to the expansion valve, and the inlet and outlet channel of the closing means being connected withthe line leading from the evaporator to the low pressure side of the compressor, thus producing a fiuid circulation in opposite directions through the two containers accompanied by a heat exchange between the fluids in the lines leading to and from the compressor and from and to the evaporator and further accompanied by a purification and dehydration in the line leading from the compressor to the evaporator and an expansion for the fiuid in the line leading from the evaporator to the compressor.

3. In an electrical refrigerator system includ ing a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve and pipe lines for the circulation of a refrigerant between the high pressure side of the compressor and ,the expansion valve and between the evaporator and the low pressure side of the compressor, an outer cylindrical closed filtering and dehydrating container, lined 'with a filter, and provided with an inlet and an outlet. a closing head member for the same, provided with two transverse passageways, separated by a partition, a second coaxial cylindrical expansion container within the first container, carried by said head member, and substantially closed by the same, the space between said filter and said second container being filled by a dehydrator, a pipe carried by said head member reaching down towards the bottom of the expansion container, said pipe being connected with one of the passageways, an opening leading from the second passageway to the top of the expansion container, the inlet and outlet of the filtering and dehydrating container line carrying the refrigerant from the high pressure side of the compressor to the expansion valve, and the two passageways being connected with the line leading from the evaporator to the low pressure .side or the compressor, thus producing a fluid circulation in opposite direclines leading to and from the compressor and 5 from and to the evaporator and further accompanied by a purification and dehydration in the line leading from the compressor to the evaporator and an expansion of the fluid in the line leading from the evaporator to the com- 10 2,294,107

pressor.

WIILIAM H. GARNER.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,839,350 Slagei Jan. 5, 1932 1,866,659 Litle July 12, 1932 2,272,583 Reed Feb. 10. 1942 Beck Aug. 25, 1942 

